The two lightweights came out striking, but it was Nazare who quickly worked for a single-leg takedown. Tirloni turned the tables briefly by threatening a guillotine and peeling back for strikes. Attempting his own takedown, Nazare blocked him and briefly put the two on the mat. Tirloni recovered and worked a clinch after a slip put the two back in a clinch.

Nazare went back to his takedown, only to eat more knees in the clinch. When for a moment he switched strategies and unloaded punches against the cage, he had his best success of the round. But the frame was close.

Tirloni staggered Nazare early with a jab, but a left hook put Tirloni on rollers. Nazare kept charging with punches and landed several more shots that rocked his opponent. But he also exposed himself to punches, and a counter right took him off his feet. He quickly drove the fight to the mat, where Tirloni attempted to capitalize with a guillotine. When Nazare squirmed out of that, he switched to a D'Arce choke, securing the tapout at 1:14 mark of the second.

"I like a fight like that, because the guy is so tough," Tirloni said afterward. "I think he was a little hurt because of the punch, but that is my best position."

Tirloni (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) sees his second Bellator tournament start on the right foot after losing in the quarterfinals of season 6 to eventual champ Rick Hawn. Nazare (10-3 MMA, 3-3 BFC) has now lost three straight under the Bellator banner and could be back to the regional circuit.